Man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) which are shoulder launched missile systems typically include heat seeking or infrared (IR) missiles and are a threat to aircraft and other types of transportation. IR missiles include an IR detector, which allows the IR missile to detect and track a target. More particularly, IR missiles detect the heat signature (i.e., infrared light) which is emitted by hot structures, for example, engines of the aircraft, to track the aircraft in an attack. However, IR missiles are vulnerable to high powered IR carrier signals which blind the IR detector of the incoming IR missile. In addition, IR missiles are vulnerable to lower powered IR carrier signals that are modulated using certain modulating signals that confuse its tracking system and cause the tracking system to track a false target.
Conventional countermeasures to an IR missile threat include jamming systems which confuse or blind the IR missile using either IR lamps and/or IR lasers. These jamming systems transmit either a high powered IR carrier signal to blind the IR detector of the incoming IR missile or, otherwise, transmit a lower powered IR carrier signal modulated with a modulating signal to confuse the IR detector of the incoming missile.
The IR lamp and/or IR laser jamming systems are heavy, complex, consume a great deal of power, and require significant space. Real estate in airborne platforms, as well as in most other transportation is typically at a premium or may not be available. Further, systems using IR lasers include precise pointing and tracking devices, which are hard to implement and produce drag on an aircraft platform.
What is needed is a system that may jam IR missiles and that may have reduced size, weight and power (SWAP) requirements. Also needed is a system with a reduced time for pointing and having increased reliability and reduced drag on the aircraft platform.